Santa’s Workshop, The Ultimate Lean Factory!

Santa’s Workshop, The Ultimate Lean Factory!

By Mark Preston

Many people believe that Santa’s workshop is a result of pure magic, but my conclusion is that the foundation of Santa’s workshop is built from Lean principles! This foundation of Lean principles can help any company on their quest to excellence. Movies have attempted to describe Santa’s workshop, but they gloss over the true meaning of what goes into creating a true world-class factory.

Some of the Lean Principles used in Santa’s Workshop:

1.)??? Specify Value in the Eyes of the Customer – Santa is in direct communication with his customers in many ways. During the holidays, malls are filled with children waiting to sit on Santa’s lap to have one on one communication with the big man himself. Verbal, direct communication is a huge factor in knowing what your customers expect! Thousands of letters pour into the North Pole communicating customer requirements. These letters are used by Santa’s helpers, the middleman (parents), to gather detailed information about what the customer expects.

Are you using different methods to understand value in the eyes of your customers?

2.)??? Teamwork makes the Dream Work – How many companies do you know that have employees that love what they do? The elves are smiling and singing because they love their role in the factory. Much of the reason for this engagement and good morale comes from:

a.????? They have clear roles and responsibilities.

b.????? They are valued for their hands, heads, and hearts.

c.????? They work together for a common purpose.

d.????? They are led by leaders focused on improving the process.

Does your team smile and sing when you walk through the factory?

3.)??? Planning and Preparation Leads to Success - There may be some celebration by the elves on Christmas day, but with a global supply chain, preparation for the next year starts immediately. Every elf team member must be focused on getting ready for the target date ahead. As children move and locations change, logistics alone must keep some elf team members in a constant state of flexible planning. The new product development team must also stay in step with all of the new technologies in toys and manufacturing processes. I am sure there are automated 3D, 5D Printers at the North Pole.

How is your team planning and preparing to prevent problems?

4.)??? Creation of an Army of Problem Solvers – You can imagine what a nightmare it would be if the elf team only temporarily fixed problems instead of eliminating them for good.? Elves are trained to seek out root causes of problems and eliminate them through process improvement. They do not have time to inspect quality into the toys. By eliminating wasted time currently, and in the future, elves can focus on adding value.

Is your team reacting to common problems or eliminating them through problem solving?

5.)??? System Thinking Closes the Loop – Santa’s North Pole Factory has been improved for many years by perfecting fundamental systems and it is a core ingredient of elf thinking. Some of these systems include:

a.?The Safety System – You must be safe at the North Pole because there is no hospital.

b.?The Quality System – Elves continuously audit themselves because outsiders are not allowed to visit the factory.

c.?The Production Management System – Visual goals and synchronized planning must be improved to achieve on time deliveries - December 24th.

d.?Material Supply and Inventory Management System – The elves must have the right materials at the right time. The weight of too much inventory may cause an iceberg to break off at the North Pole.

e.?New Product Development and Engineering Support System – The elves have a team dedicated to benchmarking and supporting all the new technology products that children request from Santa.

f.?Employee Development System – The elves are cross trained in several jobs because if one elf has a cold, the next elf must rotate and step up to meet the goal.

g.?Daily Management System – Santa and his elf leaders must go to the Gemba, meet daily, weekly, and monthly in order to understand the current state of the Value Stream – Elves must see the big Picture and eliminate waste that may potentially prevent the elf team from achieving success!

Is your team creating and improving accountable systems or just working for a paycheck?

I hope explaining some of these lean principles, as used in Santa’s wonderland, gives you some insights into what goes into the ultimate factory. Magic at the North Pole is definitely an ingredient and is based on the spirit of the factory. This spirit comes from perfect implementation of lean principles! I hope your company has magic as well or if not, can work towards achieving this type of magic in its future!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from my family to yours. May the spirit of Christmas bring magic to you and your company in 2024.

Mark

Mark Preston

CEO / Founder at Lean Applications?

Email:?[email protected]

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